MARK Warner Holidays agency sales manager Deborah
Aspland was bullied by her employers and effectively demoted after
falling pregnant, a sex discrimination
employment tribunal has heard.
Aspland, who now has a baby boy, is claiming £50,000 from
Mark Warner.
She is claiming injury to feelings and loss of earnings and
compensation for future earnings because of alleged bullying after
discovering she was pregnant in January this year.
Mark Warner denies the claims, being heard by the Central London
Employment Tribunal, which is due to rule today.
Aspland told the tribunal: “I felt I was being bullied because I
was pregnant. It was unjustified treatment given my dedication and
loyalty to the company during my five years’ service.”
She claimed to have suffered difficulties during her pregnancy
and was effectively demoted by having her reporting lines changed,
put on statutory sick pay instead of full pay, and forced to see a
company doctor.
Following company redundancies, Aspland confronted her then line
manager, associate director Jo Powell, in January about any
potential changes in reporting structure that could lead to
redundancy.
Aspland was reassured there were no plans to do so “now or in
the immediate future”, but in March her line manager changed to
commercial manager Lawrence Assock.
The company placed her on statutory sick pay after Aspland had
used up her 22 paid annual sick days by March, incurring lost
earnings of £3,223 from her £25,000 salary.
Powell dismissed the claim, telling the tribunal the “whole
company had been sympathetic” to her problems but it could not pay
her “indefinitely”.
She said Aspland had not been demoted but a restructure of the
company had seen Assock made responsible for sales.